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Cp11- Finding the Ka value of a weak acid

I did this practical today, and would like to post the result to assist you! I have seen that quite a number of you got sent home, but our number of cases per day is still low (there were 14 cases 2 days ago and 8 yesterday), so I am doing this practical for you too!
Procedure:
1. Calibrate pH meter
2. Pipette 25cm3 of 0.1M ethanoic acid into 250cm3 conical flask.
3. Fill burette with NaOH.
4. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein into a conical flask as an indicator. Start titration with NaOH until mixture just turns pink. Swirl mixture to ensure equivalence point, the point the solution neutralises, is reached. Add drop by drop close to the end to ensure accuracy.
5. Pipette another solution same as step 2 into conical flask to make a buffer solution.
6. Record pH of solution.
We recorded a pH of 4.43, and by pH=-log[H+], [H+]=3.72x10^-5 M. As [CH3COO-] and [CH3COOH] cancel out, Ka is [H+].
Reply 1
Original post by 8013
I did this practical today, and would like to post the result to assist you! I have seen that quite a number of you got sent home, but our number of cases per day is still low (there were 14 cases 2 days ago and 8 yesterday), so I am doing this practical for you too!
Procedure:
1. Calibrate pH meter
2. Pipette 25cm3 of 0.1M ethanoic acid into 250cm3 conical flask.
3. Fill burette with NaOH.
4. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein into a conical flask as an indicator. Start titration with NaOH until mixture just turns pink. Swirl mixture to ensure equivalence point, the point the solution neutralises, is reached. Add drop by drop close to the end to ensure accuracy.
5. Pipette another solution same as step 2 into conical flask to make a buffer solution.
6. Record pH of solution.
We recorded a pH of 4.43, and by pH=-log[H+], [H+]=3.72x10^-5 M. As [CH3COO-] and [CH3COOH] cancel out, Ka is [H+].


A subtle misunderstanding.

1st a titration is done to work out the volume needed to fully neutralise the acid.
Then a titration is done but only half the volume of NaOH (half the volume needed to fully neutralise) is added. The partially neutralised mixture is a buffer and the pH of this mixture = pKa of the weak acid. Hence [H+] = Ka.

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